Microcatheter shaping using intravascular placement during intracranial aneurysm coiling.

Background The selection of a pre-shaped microcatheter or a shaping method must be carefully considered for successful aneurysm coiling. The objective of this report is to verify the use of intravascular placement to establish an appropriate microcatheter shape. Methods Fifteen patients (15 aneurysms) were included in this study because of the predicted difficulty of microcatheter insertion and stabilisation. The SL-10 straight microcatheter was inserted into the parent artery until the tip of the catheter passed through the neck of the aneurysm. After 5 minutes, the microcatheter was pulled out and the shape acquired from intravascular placement was confirmed and compared with the three-dimensional rotational angiography. In addition, the microcatheter tip was steam-shaped for coiling and coil embolisation was performed. A silicone flow model was also used to confirm our findings. The first experiment compared the bend angle in four different microcatheters placed in the model for 5 minutes. In the second experiment, the SL-10 straight microcatheter was placed in the model, and the bend angle was measured at 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 minutes to observe the changes in bend angle over time. Results The SL-10 straight microcatheter, in place for 5 minutes, acquired a shape similar to the patient's own vessel. Among the 15 patients included, 13 were treated using an intravascular shaped microcatheter. In the flow model experiments, the SL-10 most easily acquired the vessel shape, and the shape change stabilised after 5 minutes. Conclusion Shaping the SL-10 straight microcatheter using intravascular placement is an effective shaping method for aneurysm coil embolisation.